


Forgive me father for I have sinned

by SketchLockwood



Category: 15th Century CE RPF, Historical RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:02:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21803401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SketchLockwood/pseuds/SketchLockwood
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	Forgive me father for I have sinned

Cambridgeshire   
1439

He hurried down the corridor, accompanied by his children’s governess and his son’s tutor. Both had raised concerns this afternoon, both had come to him with looks of embarrassment on their faces. 

John stopped outside the room. He listened “fifteen, sixteen, seventeen.” 

Whimpers accompanied each count. 

He closed his eyes and crossed himself. Jesu help them.

“My lord.” The boys tutor spoke. “Shall I deal with this?”

“If you’re capable of dealing with this why on earth was I called away?” Lord Tiptoft snapped. His son and heir, John, was 12. 

12 and emotionally disturbed, insanely religious. Religious to a point this happened when he perceived his actions a sin. 

Of course, self flogging was not new. Many people had done it for many a century. Yet John? He made this an almost daily occurrence. 

The door opened as he reached for the handle. Joan hurried out, tears in her eyes. The eldest of his children, Joan was a logical thinker and less inclined to emotional outbursts than her brother. She thought carefully before she acted. She had, her father knew, been trying to safeguard her brother from the harm he might do to himself until she could take it no more.

“Oh papa.” Her arms were flung around him. “Please help him.”

“I intend to.” He said sternly, kissing his beautiful daughters head before breaking away, entering the room almost silently. 

“Twenty, twenty one.”

“John Tiptoft! You stop immediately or I’ll beat you myself.”

His son stilled his hand with the cane above his bloody palm. 

“Oh John.” He muttered. “What am I to do with you?”

“Understand I have sinned.”

“No, John, the true sin is what you’re doing to yourself now. Most would speak to a priest when they have sinned.  
Most would seek forgiveness through confession.”

“I have done so, and still I have not learnt.”

“John, you do not have to do this.” He took the cane out of the boys hand. “This is not what He wants you to do. And if I ever see you do it again, I’ll beat you to within half an inch of your life.”

“My tutor said that religious men do this.”

“And your tutor is wrong. Self mutilation is a sin in itself. Do you not understand that? And if George was worth my money he would not ever have told you so.” 

“Don’t punish him!” His son objected. 

“Punish? No John, he will be dismissed.”

“But-“

“He clearly has no grasp of what he should teach you.”

“Well he teaches me well enough.” The boy objected, looking away.

“No. I’ll not be dictated to. You’ll have a more suitable education.”

“More suitable?”

“You’re distressing Joan, being here. And I cannot trust George to teach you correct discipline. University is a place to learn that.”

“University?”

“Yes. I will not hear a word of argument about it.” He stood. “I’ll ask your mother to see to your hand, and John?”

“Papa?”

“If I catch you doing this before you leave? I will make sure you never do it again.”

He left the room with those words, glaring at the tutor as he walked past.


End file.
